About
Leadership
Get to Know Our Interim DirectorA Profile & the Search
The Interim Director Search Committee has named Juliet Douglas, formerly a longstanding senior administrator at USN, as Interim Director effective March 31, 2025. Juliet, who retired from USN in 2023, will serve in this role until a new Director is identified for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Throughout her 27-year leadership tenure at USN, Mrs. Douglas served in many key roles, including Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, introducing USN to more than 14,000 children and families. We are delighted to welcome Juliet back to USN and know that her leadership ability, devotion to our students and families, and deep commitment to the school’s culture will enable USN to thrive during this time of reflection, change, and growth.
Undertaking a search for a new Director is an extensive process, and we are committed to assuring that the high caliber of USN’s education and service to our students is not impacted during this time of transition. For updates on the search for the permanent Director, visit usn.org/director. Of particular pride to her is the demographic change of the school over the years, increasing from 12% students of color in 1996 to 36% in 2023, growing the school’s economic diversity from 6% of students receiving assistance to 22%, and overseeing the annual distribution of nearly $4 million in financial aid to meet families’ needs. She executed flawless Previews and Open Houses to showcase our school to hundreds of people within a few short hours each November. Over the course of her time at USN, she attended all Board and Executive Committee meetings, participated in or chaired multiple search and school renewal committees, chaired the area admissions directors’ association, oversaw our exceptional retention of students, worked with countless parent volunteers at admission and school events, worked morning arrival (a personal highlight of hers), attended every level of student performance in the arts and athletics, and was a world-class Mystery Turkey at Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day.
Juliet is the proud mother to Sam ’12, the lead in The Inspector at Yale Repertory Theatre, and James ’14, middle school admissions director at The Ensworth School; the fact that grandson Oliver lives in Nashville might have been consequential to her decision to take on this new Nashville responsibility. Her husband, Stephen, is known to generations of Lower School art students as Mr. Douglas, in his paint-smeared lab coat, and also was an assistant coach to the boys lacrosse team. The paintings of his students live on in school stationery and most notably the revered brown paper bags turned into vibrant Turkey Trot costumes that families archive for 13 years.
“As a proud Tiger, I am honored to step into this role and welcome the next leader of USN by July 2026," she said. "I’m very grateful for Chai Reddy and the entire leadership team for their guidance during this period, and I look forward to reconnecting with old friends and making as many new friends as possible.”
School LeadershipBoard of Trustees
The USN Board of Trustees serves to fulfill the Mission of USN:University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
USN Board of Trustees Members
List of 4 items.
-
Board Leadership
President: Alex Jahangir
Vice President: Erin Zagnoev
Co-Secretaries: Kristin Wilson and Robert Perry '03
Treasurer: Jim Rieniets -
Board Members
Aole Ansari
McLean Barbieri '97
Terrence BrooksMarcya Carter-SheatsChris Chamberlain '85
Stacey Cason
Vinh Duong
Saeed Fakhruddin
Reagan Farr
Scott Ghertner '85
Benjamin Goldberg '98
Amy Huffman
Shanna Singh Hughey
Tonia Klein
Eric Kopstain
Tina Modi
Will Radford
Jennifer Russell
Divya Shroff
David Spigel '88
Kelly Unger
Naima Walker FierceMatthew Wolf '99 -
Emeritus & Honorary Members
Emeritus MembersAnn FundisFrank GarrisonJohn Hassenfeld '75Mike Shmerling '73
Raymond ZimmermanHonorary Members
Teri Doochin Kasselberg '73 -
Ex Officio
Ex Officio Members
Chai Reddy, Acting Head of School
Dara Freiberg, 2024-2025 USNA Co-PresidentMike and Brandy Bivens, 2023-2025 Annual Fund Co-ChairsNathalie Lavine '00, 2024-2025 Vice President, PDS/USN Alumni Association
Betsy Hoffman '83, 2024-2025 Faculty Representative
USN Administrative Team
List of 15 members.
1915 to presentPDS/USN Directors
- Dr. Richard Thomas Alexander
1915 – 1924 - Dr. William Henry Yarbrough
1924 – 1937 - Dr. John Edwin Windrow
1937 – 1947 - Dr. T. Ross Fink
1947 – 1951 - Dr. William Knox McCharen
1951 – 1968 - L. Edward Pratt
1968 – 1977 - Harold Snedcof
1977 – 1978 - Heber Rogers*
1978 – 1979 - Harvey B. Sperling
1979 – 1990 - Kay Simmons*
1990 – 1991 - Edward R. Costello
1991 – 1999 - Dr. Jean Gray Litterer*
1999 – 2000 - Dr. Vincent W. Durnan Jr.
2000 – 2022 - Amani Reed
2022 – 2025 - Dr. Chai Reddy*
January 7, 2025 – March 30, 2025 -
Juliet Douglas*March 31, 2025 – June 30, 2026
*Interim Director
Contact USN
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.